2 Kings 10

1 And Ahab hath seventy sons in Samaria, and Jehu writeth letters, and sendeth to Samaria, unto the heads of Jezreel, the elders, and unto the supporters of Ahab, saying,

There were seventy sons of the house of Ahab living in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to the officials of Samaria, to the elders, and to the guardians of the sons of Ahab, saying:

2 'And now, at the coming in of this letter unto you, and with you [are] sons of your lord, and with you [are] the chariots and the horses, and a fenced city, and the armour,

“Since your master's sons are with you, and you have at your disposal chariots, horses, a fortified city, and weapons, when you receive this letter,

3 and ye have seen the best and the uprightest of the sons of your lord, and have set [him] on the throne of his father, and fight ye for the house of your lord.'

choose the best and most appropriate son of your master, place him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house.”

4 And they fear very greatly, and say, 'Lo, the two kings have not stood before him, and how do we stand — we?'

But they were extremely frightened, and said to themselves, “If two kings couldn't defeat him, how could we?”

5 And he who [is] over the house, and he who [is] over the city, and the elders, and the supporters, send unto Jehu, saying, 'Thy servants we [are], and all that thou sayest unto us we do; we do not make any one king — that which [is] good in thine eyes do.'

So the palace and the city leaders, the elders, and the guardians sent a message to Jehu: “We are your servants, and we will do whatever you tell us. We're not going to make anyone king. Do what you think is best.”

6 And he writeth unto them a letter a second time, saying, 'If ye [are] for me, and to my voice are hearkening, take the heads of the men — the sons of your lord, and come unto me about this time to-morrow, to Jezreel;' and the sons of the king [are] seventy men, with the great ones of the city those bringing them up.

Then Jehu wrote them a second letter, saying, “If you are on my side, and if you are going to obey what I say, bring the heads of your master's sons to me in Jezreel by this time tomorrow.” The seventy king's sons were being raised by the leading men of the city.

7 And it cometh to pass, at the coming in of the letter unto them, that they take the sons of the king, and slaughter seventy men, and put their heads in baskets, and send unto him to Jezreel,

When the letter arrived, they seized the king's sons and killed all seventy of them, placed their heads in baskets, and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel.

8 and the messenger cometh in, and declareth to him, saying, 'They have brought in the heads of the sons of the king,' and he saith, 'Make them two heaps at the opening of the gate till the morning.'

A messenger came in and told Jehu, “They have brought the heads of the king's sons.” Jehu gave the order, “Put them in two piles at the entrance to the city gate until the morning.”

9 And it cometh to pass in the morning, that he goeth out, and standeth, and saith unto all the people, 'Righteous are ye; lo, I have conspired against my lord, and slay him — and who smote all these?

In the morning Jehu went out to speak to the people who had gathered. “You haven't done anything wrong,” he told them. “I was the one who plotted against my master and killed him. But who killed all these?

10 Know ye now, that nothing doth fall of the word of Jehovah to the earth that Jehovah spake against the house of Ahab, and Jehovah hath done that which He spake by the hand of His servant Elijah.'

Rest assured that nothing of what the Lord has prophesied against the house of Ahab will fail, for the Lord has done what he promised through his servant Elijah.”

11 And Jehu smiteth all those left to the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his acquaintances, and his priests, till he hath not left to him a remnant.

So Jehu killed everyone in Jezreel who was left of the house of Ahab, as well as all his high officials, close friends, and priests. This left Ahab without a single survivor.

12 And he riseth, and cometh in and goeth to Samaria; he [is] at the shepherds' shearing-house in the way,

Then Jehu left and went Samaria. At Beth-eked of the Shepherds,

13 and Jehu hath found the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah, and saith, 'Who [are] ye?' and they say, 'Brethren of Ahaziah we [are], and we go down to salute the sons of the king, and the sons of the mistress.'

he met some relatives of Ahaziah, king of Judah. “Who are you?” he asked them. “We're relatives of Ahaziah,” they replied. “We've come to visit the sons of the king and of the queen mother.”

14 And he saith, 'Catch them alive;' and they catch them alive, and slaughter them at the pit of the shearing-house, forty and two men, and he hath not left a man of them.

“Take them alive!” Jehu ordered. So they took them alive, then killed them at the well of Beth-eked. There were forty-two men. He didn't allow any of them to live.

15 And he goeth thence, and findeth Jehonadab son of Rechab — to meet him, and blesseth him, and saith unto him, 'Is thy heart right, as my heart [is] with thy heart?' and Jehonadab saith, 'It is;' — 'Then it is; give thy hand;' and he giveth his hand, and he causeth him to come up into him into the chariot,

He left there and came across Jehonadab, son of Rekab, who was coming to meet him. Jehu greeted him and asked him, “Are you as committed to me, as I am to you?” “Yes I am,” Jehonadab replied. “In that case, give me your hand,” said Jehu. So he stretched out his hand, and Jehu helped him up into the chariot.

16 and saith, 'Come with me, and look on my zeal for Jehovah;' and they cause him to ride in his chariot.

“Come with me and see how dedicated I am to the Lord!” Jehu said, and had him ride in his chariot.

17 And he cometh in to Samaria, and smiteth all those left to Ahab in Samaria, till his destroying him, according to the word of Jehovah that He spake unto Elisha.

When Jehu arrived in Samaria, he went around killing everyone who was left of Ahab's family until he had killed all of them, just as the Lord had said through Elijah.

18 And Jehu gathereth the whole of the people, and saith unto them, 'Ahab served Baal a little — Jehu doth serve him much:

Jehu had all the people gather together and told them, “Ahab worshiped Baal a little, but Jehu will worship him a lot.

19 and now, all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests, call ye unto me; let not a man be lacking, for a great sacrifice I have for Baal; every one who is lacking — he doth not live;' and Jehu hath done [it] in subtilty, in order to destroy the servants of Baal.

So summon all the prophets of Baal, all his servants and all his priests. Make sure no one is missing, because I'm organizing a great sacrifice for Baal. Anyone who doesn't attend will be executed.” But Jehu's plan was a trick to destroy the followers of Baal.

20 And Jehu saith, 'Sanctify a restraint for Baal;' and they proclaim [it].

Jehu gave the order, “Call a religious assembly to honor Baal!” So they did so.

21 And Jehu sendeth into all Israel, and all the servants of Baal come in, and there hath not been left a man who hath not come in; and they come in to the house of Baal, and the house of Baal is full — mouth to mouth.

Jehu sent the announcement through the whole of Israel. All the followers of Baal came—not a single man was missing. They went into the temple of Baal, filling it from end to end.

22 And he saith to him who [is] over the wardrobe, 'Bring out clothing to all servants of Baal;' and he bringeth out to them the clothing.

Jehu said to the keeper of the wardrobe, “Distribute clothes for all the servants of Baal.” So he brought out clothes for them.

23 And Jehu goeth in, and Jehonadab son of Rechab, to the house of Baal, and saith to the servants of Baal, 'Search and see, lest there be here with you of the servants of Jehovah — but, the servants of Baal by themselves.'

Then Jehu and Jehonadab, son of Rekab, went into the temple of Baal. Jehu told the followers of Baal, “Look around and make sure that no one who follows the Lord is here with you, only the worshipers of Baal.”

24 And they come in to make sacrifices and burnt-offerings, and Jehu hath set for himself in an out-place eighty men, and saith, 'The man who letteth escape [any] of the men whom I am bringing in unto your hand — his soul for his soul.'

They were inside presenting sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had positioned eighty men outside and cautioned them, “I'm handing these men over to you. If you let any of them escape, you will pay for his life with yours.”

25 And it cometh to pass at his finishing to make the burnt-offering, that Jehu saith to the runners, and to the captains, 'Go in, smite them, let none come out;' and they smite them by the mouth of the sword, and the runners and the captains cast [them] out; and they go unto the city, to the house of Baal,

As soon as Jehu had finished presenting the burnt offering, he ordered his guards and officers, “Go in and kill them all! Don't let even one escape!” So they killed them with their swords. The guards and officers threw their bodies outside, and then they went into the inner sanctuary of the temple of Baal.

26 and bring out the standing-pillars of the house of Baal, and burn them,

They dragged out the idol pillars and burned them.

27 and break down the standing-pillar of Baal, and break down the house of Baal, and appoint it for a draught-house unto this day.

They smashed the sacred pillar of Baal, and tore down the temple of Baal and turned it into a toilet, which it still is to this day.

28 And Jehu destroyeth Baal out of Israel,

This was how Jehu destroyed Baal worship in Israel,

29 only — the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, that he caused Israel to sin, Jehu hath not turned aside from after them — the calves of gold that [are] at Beth-El, and in Dan.

but he did not end the sins that Jeroboam, son of Nebat, had made Israel commit—the worship of the golden calves at Bethel and Dan.

30 And Jehovah saith unto Jehu, 'Because that thou hast done well, to do that which [is] right in Mine eyes — according to all that [is] in My heart thou hast done to the house of Ahab — the sons of the fourth [generation] do sit for thee on the throne of Israel.'

The Lord said to Jehu, “Since you have done well, and have carried out what is right in my sight, and have accomplished all that I planned for the house of Ahab, your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.”

31 And Jehu hath not taken heed to walk in the law of Jehovah, God of Israel, with all his heart, he hath not turned aside from the sins of Jeroboam, that he caused Israel to sin.

But Jehu was not completely committed to following the law of the Lord, the God of Israel. He did not end the sins that Jeroboam had made Israel commit.

32 In those days hath Jehovah begun to cut off [some] in Israel, and Hazael smiteth them in all the border of Israel,

At that time the Lord began to reduce the extent of Israel. Hazael defeated the Israelites throughout their territory

33 from the Jordan, at the sun-rising, the whole land of Gilead, of the Gadite, and the Reubenite, and the Manassahite (from Aroer, that [is] by the brook Arnon), even Gilead and Bashan.

east of the Jordan, all the land of Gilead (the region occupied by Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh), and from Aroer through the Arnon Valley up to Gilead and Bashan.

34 And the rest of the matters of Jehu, and all that he did, and all his might, are they not written on the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel?

The rest of what happened in Jehu's reign, all that he did and what he accomplished, are recorded in the Book of Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

35 And Jehu lieth with his fathers, and they bury him in Samaria, and reign doth Jehoahaz his son in his stead.

Jehu died and was buried in Samaria. His son Jehoahaz succeeded him as king.

36 And the days that Jehu hath reigned over Israel [are] twenty and eight years, in Samaria.

Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria for twenty-eight years.